Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Fatal intestinal inflammation from coronavirus infection in cats
By Kipar, A et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·1998·Institut fü, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Fatal enteritis associated with coronavirus infection in cats.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A 2-month-old kitten and four other cats aged up to 7 years were diagnosed with severe intestinal problems, including vomiting and diarrhea, caused by a coronavirus infection. The cats showed various signs of damage in their intestines, which were confirmed through special tests that identified the virus. Unfortunately, the condition was serious, and the report highlights that coronavirus can lead to severe enteritis (inflammation of the intestines) in both young and adult cats.
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Abstract
This report describes five cases of naturally occurring feline coronavirus enteritis. The affected animals, aged 2 months to 7 years, had a clinical history of intestinal symptoms, including diarrhoea or vomiting, or both. They exhibited variable histological changes in the epithelium of the small intestine, ranging from degeneration of single cells and detachment of groups of cells from the villous tips to regenerative processes of the crypt epithelia. Post-mortem diagnosis was based on the immunohistochemical demonstration of coronavirus antigen within intestinal epithelial cells and on the electron microscopical demonstration of coronavirus particles in the faeces. In addition, one animal was immunohistochemically positive for antigens of feline leukaemia virus (FeLV) and exhibited intestinal changes consistent with FeLV-associated enteritis. Two cats were tested serologically for feline immunodeficiency antibodies, with negative results. The findings indicate that natural coronavirus infection is a potential cause of severe enteritis in juvenile and adult cats.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9717123/